And So the End Becomes the Beginning

    While I begin this new journey it's hard not to reflect on the old adventures of these past two years. I remember how only one year ago when I returned from the Peace Corps it felt like my life was over. I had worked so hard for one thing for so long that it seemed impossible to begin again.  However on reflecting on my experience in Grenada it hard to ignore how much easier being here in Israel is. While I was in Grenada I continuously found myself questioning why I was there and questioning whether it had been the right choice for me. However being here with this group I finally feel that I'm in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. And so maybe the end was really just the beginning. 

     I have been in Israel for just over three weeks now.  I have completed the first section of our orientation and am now enjoying the holiday with my host family. Overall I was very impressed with our orientation. Our training was divided into three parts in which we stayed at different ecological farms in Israel. Each location was practicing sustainable living techniques and doing everything they can to reuse, reduce and recycle their waste. It was a great introduction to how we will be living in Nepal.

     During our training sessions we had the opportunity to meet with many professionals in the field of development. Each person gave a unique perspective and provided us with different tools to use when we begin our work. While many of our lectures were based on theory we were also given practical skills, such as how to make mud bricks, Stoves, and turn waste into art. 

This past month has also been spent getting to know my fellow volunteers. The group is comprised of three Israeli’s, two European’s, and five America’s.  I am extremely impressed by all the people selected to be apart of this team. It is humbling to be apart of such a diverse, experienced, and intelligent group; with each person having a unique story to tell.  I feel that this group has the passion and motivation to be successful this upcoming year and I am excited to be going on this adventure with them.

     During my last week in Israel I will be spending time with the friends and family I made while living here two years ago.  Everyone has been so welcoming and hospitable. I feel blessed to have met such wonderful people through my travels. If I can say one this about these last two years I can say that I have made family all over the world, whether its Yavett in Grenada, or Karin and Shaul in Israel I know I always have a place to go. 

With only four more days until I leave for Nepal I plan to spend this week relaxing, enjoying the holiday,  and relishing in the fact that I still have internet, electricity, running water, and most importantly and toilet paper.  

One year Later...

So we are fast forwarding one year to today, September 13, 2013, to the next new thing. As you can guess the Peace Corps did not work out. It was a long dragged out process that was painful and overall changed the way I think about the organization. However the experience changed my life and has led me to where I am now. But before we get to today let me catch you up on the last year.

            After I was medically separated from the Peace Corps last summer I was unsure of I what to do next. I didn’t know what type of job to apply for, what city to live in, and how to move on. So in order to delay time for a little longer I took a job with Dragonfly Limited, an outdoor recreation company that works with international schools in Hong Kong.  I had the opportunity to work in Yangshoa China,  a small town known for it’s limestone mountains which climbers come from around the world to experience.

Overall it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that allowed me to meet people from a variety of countries who are living very alternative lifestyles. It was a wonderful way to learn that there is no “right” way to live as long as you are happy. I utilized the time to think about what would make me happy and what I would do when I got home. Overall I came to the conclusion that I needed to find closure with the Peace Corps and then look for another way to go abroad to work in international development.

            I was able to find closure by returning to Grenada when my contract with Dragonfly was complete. Returning to Grenada allowed me to say goodbye to my host family, my fellow volunteers, and the man I had fallen for.  It also allowed me to see that it was no longer the right place for me, and it was time to move on.

            When I returned from Grenada I got a job with Masa Israel Journey which allowed me to explore my options in the Jewish professional world. More importantly, it also allowed me to move out of my house.  I found a room in Astoria, Queens living in an apartment with two very nice Philipino Boys.  The fact that they are Filipino is irrelevant except for the fact that my apartment had not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 rice cookers! It is important to mention that they were not all the same! They ranged from small to big which allowed you to make anywhere from 1-10 servings of rice. While the apartment was small, dirty, and smelled a little funny it was something I could call my own.

The goal I had set for myself was to be abroad by summer. This gave me 6 months to find what I was looking for.  While working at a Masa I had the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people who were very enthusiastic in helping me find a new abroad experience. I learned that if you talk about something enough eventually you will talk to the right person who will point you in the right direction.  This became true for me when a colleague at work began e-mail me different abroad opportunities.  While all of them were very interesting none of them felt right until she sent me a link to Tevel Btzedek. http://www.tevelbtzedek.org/.

Tevel was exactly what I had been looking for. It was a small organization that was looking for devoted, motivated people to do development in Nepal.  I felt that they had a wonderful philosophy and would be investing as much into me as I would be into them, something I did not feel while working for the Peace Corps. I therefore began the application process, which led to an interview, which led to a second interview, which finally led to me being accepted!  And this is how I got here  today, aka in a small room at my friends house on Kibbutz Neot Mordechai in the Northern Region of Israel.

I have come to Israel where I will be completing my first month of training, which will be followed by a second month of training in Katmandu, Nepal. After training I will be moving to a small village 7 hours south of the capital where I will spend the next 9 months. During this year I hope to increase my knowledge about third world development, learn about a new and interesting culture, and continue to grow and get to know myself in way no other experience can allow for.  To all my friends and family who have been there for me this past year, you all know there have been a lot of highs and lows. I could not have gotten through it with out you and I hope you all enjoy going on this journey with me.